Horseradish Sauce

½ cup blended cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise (or more yogurt)
2–3 Tbsp fresh horseradish root, finely grated, to taste
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1–2 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice
salt & pepper
1 Tbsp chives, snipped (optional)

What you need

½ cup blended cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or sour cream

¼ cup mayonnaise (or more yogurt)

2–3 Tbsp fresh horseradish root, finely grated, to taste

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1–2 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice

salt & pepper

1 Tbsp chives, snipped (optional)

Make the base creamy. If you're using cottage cheese, blend ½ cup smooth first (a splash of milk helps) so it isn't curdy; Greek yogurt or sour cream go in as they are. Whisk with the mayo.
Grate the horseradish. Peel the root and grate it fine on a microplane — or, easier on your eyes, pulse it in a food processor with the lid on. Keep your face back: the fumes are fierce, like super-charged onion. Grate about 2–3 Tbsp.
Set the heat. The moment it's grated, stir in the vinegar (or lemon) and a pinch of salt — the acid locks the heat in place. Sooner is milder; waiting a few minutes before the acid makes it hotter. Fresh is much stronger than jarred, so start with less.
Combine & rest. Fold the horseradish, Dijon, and chives into the base; season. Rest at least 15 min (or up to overnight) so it melds — the bite softens as it sits, so taste and add more before serving.

Steps — tap one to keep your place

1. Make the base creamy. If you're using cottage cheese, blend ½ cup smooth first (a splash of milk helps) so it isn't curdy; Greek yogurt or sour cream go in as they are. Whisk with the mayo.

2. Grate the horseradish. Peel the root and grate it fine on a microplane — or, easier on your eyes, pulse it in a food processor with the lid on. Keep your face back: the fumes are fierce, like super-charged onion. Grate about 2–3 Tbsp.

3. Set the heat. The moment it's grated, stir in the vinegar (or lemon) and a pinch of salt — the acid locks the heat in place. Sooner is milder; waiting a few minutes before the acid makes it hotter. Fresh is much stronger than jarred, so start with less.

4. Combine & rest. Fold the horseradish, Dijon, and chives into the base; season. Rest at least 15 min (or up to overnight) so it melds — the bite softens as it sits, so taste and add more before serving.

✨ Untested — Claude drafted this one from scratch; it hasn't been cooked and amended in our kitchen yet, so treat the amounts as a starting point. Low salt — salt at the end and taste as you go; broth, cheese, and canned goods already bring salt.